A pivoting arrangement of the generic type for connecting wagons of a multiple-element rail vehicle has been disclosed previously in EP 0 559 635 B1. It comprises two axial pivoting bearings which are arranged concentrically inside one another, the outer axial pivoting bearing functioning as the main bearing and the inner axial pivoting bearing functioning as an anti-lifting means. In order that no constraining forces can be introduced into the system, it is necessary for the bearing centre points of the two bearings to coincide. As a result of the construction of this bearing arrangement, axial forces (spreading forces) are produced, in the event of radial loads, counter to the weight of the housing lying on top by the compression angle of the axial pivoting bearings used. In particular in the event of accidents, the weight of the wagon part lying on top is not sufficient to compensate for the axial lifting force (spreading force) which is oriented in the opposite direction. For this lifting case, the inner pivoting bearing has to prevent the inner ring of the main bearing from jumping out of the outer ring and the pivoting connection therefore being released. For this purpose, the shaft plate of the inner bearing is connected to the housing by means of bolts or screws. Depending on the bearing construction, these screws have to absorb continuous dynamic or static loads.
The disadvantages of a bearing arrangement which is configured according to the generic type lie in the following areas:                As a result of the complex construction, a large number of bearing constituent parts have to be manufactured and assembled.        As the two bearing centre points have to coincide for the satisfactory functioning of the bearing arrangement, high manufacturing outlay is required.        Axial lifting forces (spreading forces) on account of radial forces which occur have to be absorbed by additional components (threaded bolts).        A complicated surrounding construction is also required on account of the complexity of the bearing arrangement.        The bearing arrangement takes up a considerable amount of installation space on account of its complexity.        
Similar bearing arrangements for the articulated connection of wagons of a multiple-element vehicle are described in DE 101 39 970 A1 and in WO 03/09265 A1. However, the abovementioned disadvantages apply here too, that is to say they consist of many individual constituent parts and require great accuracy in terms of manufacturing technology.
Although, in this context, applications of radial pivoting bearings in the coupling of vehicle units for rail vehicles are also known to the person skilled in the art, they differ substantially from the solution according to the invention. Thus, for example, DE 195 43 183 A1 describes a coupling between two railway wagons, which comprises a tie rod which is connected to one wagon and is held by an adjacent wagon. This is done in such a way that a connecting pin has a spherical outer face which is in turn held by a likewise curved bush. The bush is manufactured from an elastic material, with the result that the curved bush is deformed in the event of a pivoting movement of the tie rod in the horizontal direction. This in turn means that, in the strict sense, there is no radial pivoting bearing in which the two bearing rings can be pivoted with respect to one another without deformation. Moreover, this coupling is constructed in such a way that, via a connecting pin, a coupling fork passes through the curved bush which is arranged in the tie rod, the connecting pin being fixed in two fork cheeks which are spaced apart from one another in the axial direction. This means in turn that a connection of this type takes up a large amount of installation space in the axial direction.
Similar solutions, that is to say in which an elastic material is deformed in the event of the coupling fork and the coupling bracket pivoting, are apparent from DE 199 19 536 A1 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,485,743. A likewise negative aspect is the complicated attachment to the connecting constructions, that is to say a coupling fork is connected to a coupling bracket, with the result that a large amount of installation space is required in the axial direction.